Valruzia

[Aethan]

Get to know the candidates standing for the 5645 Valruzian legislative elections

In just one year, Valruzia will hold its next parliamentary elections, following the Presidential scandal. But how will YOU vote?

February 5644

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With less than a year before the next Valruzian parliamentary elections, many citizens are ready to cast their votes for their first time. Others, are eager to show their support like they have done in the past, and others have had a change of mind. Here, we present you the final list of candidates for the 5645 Valruzian legislative elections, once all the parties primaries have come to an end. Will any of them be worthhy of your vote?

Szymon Nowik, the perennial Chancellor

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Political party: Sovereign Valruzia
Age: 45
Education: BSc Biological Sciences, MS Microbiology, Postgraduate in Geopolitical Studies 
Hometown: Uniatow, Valusian Voivodeship
Offices: Chancellor of Valruzia (5630-present)
Family: Married to Mateusz Gawryś; no children

A seasoned politician and the first and current Chancellor of Valruzia, Szymon Nowik is a political titan that has been a dominant figure in Valruzian politics for almost two decades. Known for his pragmatic approach and nationalistic views, Nowik has led Sovereign Valruzia through turbulent times, including the rebuilding of the Valruzian society following the downfall of the Morawski regime and most recently the presidential scandal that shook the nation. His supporters praise his firm stance on Valruzian sovereignty and economic reforms, while critics accuse him of authoritarian tendencies. Contesting his fourth consecutive election as leader of Sovereign Valruzia, he is the last man standing from the generation that led the first Valruzian Sejm, and as he said, he inteds "to lead Valruzia as long as people let him". During his governments with the left and right, he has approved important reforms for Valruzia such as the Valruzia 5700 economic plan, the Agro-So initiative, the mandatory military service, the same-sex civil unions law or most recently, the universally free education programme. While he continues being an inspiration for many and a figure to aspire to, others feel like his moment has already passed and that his movements towards his left and right - first governing with the socialdemocratic Dignity and Progress, then with the conservative National Renewal and now relying on the support of the Communist Party of Valruzia - puts him in a fragile and undefined space that might end up collapsing once his time in office is over. 

Public score: 7.1/10

Lucjan Mirski, a Pietrzykist to confront with Nowik

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Political party: Communist Party of Valruzia
Age: 36
Education: Bachelor in Journalism 
Hometown: Szary Kamien, Kampanian Voivodeship
Offices: Mayor of Szary Kamien (5635-present)
Family: Married to Magdalena Bogus; four children

He surprisingly ousted a few month ago the longtime leader of the PKW Tobiasz Bernas in a close leadership race, and now he aspires to do the same at the national level. Considered a close ally of former President Karolina Pietrzyk, he belongs to the more moderate faction within the Communist Party, but those who know him argue that he is "tougher than Bernas" and every negotiation with him might look like a close combat against a bulldog. He is widely considered a "rare gem" in the Valruzian political landscape and especially within its own PKW, since he might be one of the few big politicians openly advocating for more internationalism instead of relying in Valruzia's nationalistic and isolationist tendencies within its general population. Charismatic and known in his hometown for his use of social networks, will he become the first leader to give Nowik his first political defeat?

Public score: 4.8/10

Fryderik Pilch, Ksenia Brosz and Robert Dzikowski, the conservative alliance

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Political parties: Forward Valruzia, composed by National Renewal, National Salvation and Agrarian Voice
Age: 66, 51 and 40
Education: PhD in Political Sciences (Pilch), Postgraduate in Law (Brosz), none (Dzikowski)
Hometown: -
Offices: No previous political office (Pilch), Deputy Chancellor of Valruzia (Brosz, 5635-5640), National Deputy (Dzikowski)
Family: Married to Patrycja Juska; three children (Pilch). Married to Leon Kotulin; two children (Brosz). Married to Ludwika Gładkowska; four children (Dzikowski)

This three-headed conservative coalition is united only by hatred towards Nowik. First appearing to successfully contest the 5641 Presidential elections, the victory of their candidate Szymona Razem over both Sovereign Valruzia and KPW candidates seemed to point towards a change in tendency in the Valruzian electorate. However, it would soon backfire when President Razem was destituted just two years after following her scandal, and it took with it the leaderships of the predecessors of both Fryderik Pilch in National Salvation and Robert Dzykowski in Agrarian Voice, despite the latter being the only one of the coalition initially willing to sacrifice their own presidential candidates to "protect the Republic". Ksenia Brosz, from National Renewal, managed to keep her leadership of the party by the bare minimum, and once a former ally and Deputy Chancellor of Nowik, she might be now his most fierce enemy. The coalition has one big problem: on their own, none of the three candidates stand a chance against Nowik. And despite initial polls pointing at a close race between the Forward Valruzia Alliance and Sovereign Valruzia, the latest scandal has placed them on the tight rope, despite still having a year to recover. Fryderik Pilch is a hardline Hosian with zero governing experience, and Robert Dzikowski is a populist farmer's champion, but the three of them together have to manage to collect both urban and rural votes without losing their own political base. With the defeat of both Janina Rząca in the leadership of National Salvation and Ewa Burba in Agrarian Voice, Ksenia Brosz is now the only woman contesting the elections as leader of a political party.

Public score: 4.4/10 (Pilch), 3.9/10 (Brosz), 5.6/10 (Dzikowski).

Ernest Greger, down but not out

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Political party: Dignity and Progress
Age: 56
Education: PhD in Law Studies
Hometown: Nowogard, Valusian Voivodeship
Offices: National deputy (5630-present)
Family: Married to Maja Archacka; two children

Unknown when he was first elected to replace the controversial Amelia Korzeniewska to lead a party struggling to maintain relevance, he managed to slighlty improve the party results in the last elections. As head of Dignity and Progress, he represents the remnants of Valruzia's social democratic spirit, always squeezed between Nowik's nationalism and Mirski's popular communism among the youth. A constitutional law expert, Greger gained more prominence during the Razem destitution hearings, where his legal arguments against the president were widely praised and he was the first one to put the votes of his party at the service of the motion without asking for any counterparts in exchange. For next year's election, Greger's platform is focusing on workers' rights expansion and environmental protections, but critics argue he is still at the shadow of the KPW. With polls showing his party hovering near the 5% threshold, this election may be Greger's last chance to prove Dignity and Progress isn't destined for political oblivion.

Public score: 5.2/10

Tymon Szweda, the looming far-right

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Political party: Valruzian Alliance
Age: 62
Education: PhD in Law Studies, Postgraduate in International relations
Hometown: Pastarnia, Ruzian Voivodeship
Offices: National deputy (5630-present)
Family: Married to Aniela Golda; two children

The firebrand leader of Valruzia's far-right and former lawyer of disgraced Ignacy Zelazny has attempted to capitalize on the political chaos surrounding the Razem presidential scandal. Szweda's anti-Yeudi rhetoric and calls for "national purification" have gained disturbing traction in recent years, particularly among disaffected working-class voters, but much to the criticism of its colleagues in the Sejm. A skilled orator with a law background, he has successfully rebranded the once-fringe Valruzian Alliance as defenders of "traditional Valruzian values" against both Nowik's "populist policies" and the "communist left". While still unlikely to enter government, Szweda's party could become kingmakers if the election produces a hung parliament. His most recent controversial proposal? The idea of stripping dual citizens of voting rights. Political analysts warn that Szweda's seemingly growing influence represents the most dangerous far-right movement in Valruzia since the Morawski era, but electoral polls are not doing any good to Szweda's party, which is seeing a decreasing number of support for a party that once stood at 12% - and now is polling at less than half that percentage. If the results confirm this polls, this might be Szweda's last electoral battle.

Public score: 2.4/10